WISE, Va. – Christian Erwin drilled a game-tying 49-yard field goal attempt with a half minute to play in regulation to force overtime and won the game with a 44-yard kick to win the game as Carson-Newman prevailed 40-37 in four overtimes at Smith Field over UVA Wise Saturday.
After 430 days, coach Mike Clowney made his head coaching debut securing the win and improving the program to 32-8-1 on opening day aiding the Eagles to their second wins in as many tries against UVA Wise (0-1, 0-1) in the longest game in school history.
"The thing you have to be proud of is the way the guys responded when their backs were against the wall," Clowney said. "We fought back to win and that is something to be excited about moving forward. This team can build off of that in the future. The reason we are playing these games is to get on the field and evaluate our players. We can get video against someone else and get those things corrected. We had some mistakes on one of the big things we will work on moving forward is staying low and playing behind your pads instead of being on your heels."
Carson-Newman (1-0, 1-0) led 14-7 at halftime after scoring less than 90 seconds into the game on a touchdown run by Drake McCowan (Dalton, Ga.). Wise came out of the locker room and ripped off 17 unanswered points to seize a 24-14 advantage with 13:28 to go following a nine-play, 94-yard scoring drive.
After the Eagles punted, the Cavaliers were moving down the field when a fumble recovered by Frank Lee (Orangeburg, S.C.) gave the Eagles some life. On the very next play, Trey Mitchell (Knoxville, Tenn.) linked up with DeQuan Dudley (Harvey, Ill.) for an 89-yard passing strike, the third-longest completion in school history. It was a three-point game with 9:35 to play.
Wise punted on its next possession and C-N seized an opportunity to take the lead with Mitchell hitting JJ Lewis (Tampa, Fla.) on a slant over the right hash marks. The senior snared the pass and sprinted 57 yards to the house to put the Eagles on top 28-24 with 3:51 on the clock.
However, the Cavaliers had the answer as Caleb Mitchell toed the sideline to haul in a 13-yard pass and put the home group on top 31-28 with 1:25 showing on the clock.
The Eagles worked the ball into Wise territory but settled for a 49-yard field-goal attempt from Erwin. The left-footer swung the leg and split the uprights to tie the score at 31 with 35 seconds to play.
�� 3rd longest pass completion in program history ��
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 13, 2021
Mitchell ➡️ Dudley
�� UVa Wise 24
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CHRISTIAN ERWIN CALLED GAME.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 13, 2021
The freshman ends it from 44 yards out.
�� @cnfootball 40
�� UVa Wise 37
FINAL / 4OT pic.twitter.com/gtWzG56V4J
Clowney's club received the ball first in overtime seeing Erwin cash in from 26 yards. Drew Casidy answered with a chip shot of his own and the teams went to a second extra session.
After the Eagles stopped the Cavaliers on fourth down, Erwin missed a 35-yard attempt requiring a third overtime period. Erwin nailed a field goal despite a delay of game penalty but Casidy once again had the answer connecting from 26 again to deadlock the margin at 37.
Wise had the ball in the fourth overtime period and Casidy shoved a 42-yard attempt wide left setting the stage for the Eagles. Clowney sent the kicking unit to the field on third down, a decision that proved timely. A bobbled snap cost the team six yards but allowed for an attempt on fourth down. Erwin drilled it from 44 yards out to star the victory celebration.
Despite allowing 602 yards of offense, the Eagles rolled 476 yards of total offense as the teams combined for 199 plays. The team tossed for 331 yards with Mitchell leading the way with 282 yards through the air and two touchdowns.
McCowan led the ground game that produced 145 yards with 62 yards as four Eagles ran for 20-plus yards. Lewis led the team's receiving effort with 100 yards.
Kendall Williams (Winston-Salem, N.C.) with 11 tackles, one of six players with seven-plus stops. The team racked up 10 tackles for loss and broke up six pass attempts.
Garrett Crop threw for 310 yards completing 31 of 51 attempts as the team threw the ball 73 times. Martin caught eight balls for 117 yards and Jarrett produced 10 grabs for 104 yards. Shaheim Revel ran the ball nine times for 54 yards and a score as the team tallied 117 yards on the ground.
The Eagles return to Mossy Creek for a two-game homestand on March 20 when Mars Hill swings by Burke-Tarr Stadium at 7 p.m. Broadcast coverage will air on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) with video and audio streams on cneagles.com/live starting one hour before kick.
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